Pella Grace picks her 'author parents'

You don't get to pick your actual parents, but Pella Grace, author of Knock Love Out, is picking her "author parents" and talking about collaboration ...

Pella:

"Fighting against something ties you to that thing, building something new beckons collaboration." — Joel Salatin

Inspiration.

Much like the plot for a new story, inspiration is often found where you least expect. A man who dedicates his life to nurturing the Earth — Joel Salatin, book author and owner of Polyface Farms — perfected in one simple quote what I have been trying to summarize about the "new" publishing world for over a year.

Collaboration.

The line between what is traditionally acceptable for books beckons for collaboration from a fire lit in the world of publishing that caused a major shift in what readers demand. It seems at times, there are no rules for what one can publish in the current market, yet, I still find myself walking a line when it comes to honing the prose I gravitate toward as a writer — slightly more poetic — and still trying to keep my words for the traditional audience, well, traditionally written.

Growing up under the influence of authors such as James M. Barrie — understanding the poetic, metaphoric genius of Peter Pan, or The Little White Bird, makes it difficult to venture into writing romance novels without wanting to sprinkle a little fairy dust into the prose.

So, collaboration — how does an author offer readers new and old ideas? The best of who they are while still remaining universal?

Recently I discovered Rita Leganski's The Silence of Bonaventure Arrow. The mix of magic and romance left me speechless. Her words scribed so poetically and poignant — traditional — but all her own. She perfected collaboration. She offered honest writing but left the reader completely taken by how powerful her prose and story is written. Refreshing.

I think if I could have "author parents," I would say James is my father and Rita is my mother. Maybe that's too bold. How about James Barrie is my stepfather, Rita Leganski is my fairy godmother, George Carlin is my weekend-visits father, and maybe I'm motherless, which makes me put my characters into angst-ridden plot points.

My debut novel, Knock Love Out, offers collaboration and inspiration. It's a mix of the poetic prose I adore — shined brightly through Cash Valentine — who might have once had a "James Barrie" stepfather. And traditionally honors more of a contemporary romance vibe, told through the point-of-view of Lilla King, who might have fared far better in finding true love had she had a mother. Or even a fairy godmother.

Collaboration also attaches itself to the plot of Knock Love Out. When Lilla finds herself in a loveless marriage, she has to ask herself what risks she's willing to take to find true love. Her desire to have an affair twists her into a tailspin of what is acceptable when your current lover emotionally abandons you, and what is the right thing to do, to find your own happiness again.

Is there room for collaboration in a traditional but loveless marriage?

If Cash Valentine had to answer that question, he'd say yes (but that's probably because James Barrie is his "author stepfather"). Cash finds himself caught in the middle of what is the right thing to do for the person he loves — Lilla — and what price he's willing to pay to give her a chance at true love and happiness. Even at the risk of losing his own.

In today's world and in publishing, is there such a thing as straying too far from tradition? Or is there a compromise to be had? Perhaps the readers will decide.

Maybe we need one of those rubber bracelets. WWJBD.

To find out more about Pella, visit pellagrace.wix.com/knockloveout. You can also connect with her on Facebook, Pinterest and Goodreads.